I fully understand the risks taken by the vendors and why they need their higher margins to cover for those risks. I also understand the market. If you have the money to spend, you certainly can get whatever gun you want, however there is always the bitter taste that you know the gun retails outside Canada, just over the border in the U.S. for less than 50% most of the time.

When I know the JG G36 sells for $99 in the U.S. and Canadian dealers sell it for $350 as that seems to be a price the market has settled on, my wallet just can't reconcile with that very easily. For items that cost that little in the first place, one might as well take the risk of importing it themselves. I appreciate the dealers but margins like that just don't go over well with some people despite it making perfect sense and given the climate in this country - reasonable.

For these guys to be pricing clones in the sub-$400 range is very, very good.
The marui's and ca's may be pricey but the retailers take ENORMOUS personal risk with them and make less profit per unit than they do with clones. I was surprised to see them for sale.
I stuck to clones because of the higher markup and the lower cost if they were lost to customs. As do they mostly.
I took pre-orders on the condition that if I could not deliver on a date, a full refund would be given but most of the time I would have it in stock before posting . I NEVER used or risked client money as I only paid for the guns once they were in Canada (for which I paid a premium that added significantly to my cost for the guns). Most other pre-orders are not done this way so they are a huge risk and I can't imagine why anyone would go that route.

Anybody whining about prices should try to do better themselves.
Oh, it's 12 cents in china? Great! Get me ten! Go take a risk, show some initiative. I'll happily pay you!

Until then, SUCK IT UP. You have NO idea what you're talking about.

I applaud the retailers. GOOD JOB GUYS!

I will say that to avoid trouble, don't post anything for sale until it's in your hands. Simple.

I say ... HERE!!! HERE!!! to all the retailers on ASC.

And CHEERS!!!! to Ya.

open the market
 

Ultimately when airsoft has better recognition by local, provincial, and federal government as a safe form of recreation then the market will open up and prices will come down because there will be more suppliers. Once people know there is safe/clear legal grounds for import then there will be way more importing by suppliers and it will all be good.

I would say Canadian buyers are just victims of supply and demand.

In theory and in practice things do go by that way.

But we are not victims of supply and demand . We are victims of the grey side of the law that has put Airsoft under Firearm Replicas.

If anything its not the market should open up. It can't with current state of the law. I remember a vet on this forum once said that the laws not going to change anytime soon and if it did it was just be more restrictions.

It seems its easier to put restrictions than re-write a law

I hear that. The law has depressed the supply and I definitely think you're on point if the law changes it will most likely be further restriction.

I think I am just down with venting for now and hoping that things don't get worse later!

Things can't really get any worse at this point. They got worse about 3 years ago, and everyone stuck their head in the sand, said "The sky isn't falling".

Well, it fell, and all that's left is a couple new guns, lots of old "village bicycle" guns, and the clear stuff.

Yayyy!!! I'm waving a little flag now!

Things aren't so bad as you think. Prices are better actually and the Clear gun (Cansoft) is on the rise. Theres really nothing wrong with them. They have the same guts just a different body which can be easily modded with a metal body.


(Side note: Please no arguments on how you don't like Cansoft. It will just cause a thread to be locked)

np with cansoft here. Actually I was thinking that the only unfortunate thing about cansoft is that it probably sidelines the manufacture's process to switch from their usual stuff to cansoft which probably adds to the price of cansoft guns...just a guess. But at least they make them.

I would rather pay $700 for a G&P gun and have 50 to chose from in 7 models, than pay $625, have none to chose from, with little to no special order options.

And where are all these magical metal bodies to mod the clear guns? Where are they?

I'll tell you, they aren't in Canada, and if there are a very few of them around, they are used or not worth the inflated price.

People who don't want to hear about clear guns (Cansoft is a ridiculous term) should plug their ears and go "LaLaLaLa!!"

excuse me i should say clear guns.

No magic needed, just need the right friends.

Cansoft may sound ridiculous but you knew what I was talking about when I wrote it. Its a coined term, shunned by those who do not like it, thats fine. It will be used anway, and have seen it used in other threads.

Clear guns are no impediment to playing the game...

and import restrictions are no impediment to serious collectors of full metal replicas.

There is always a way ...

Personally I have experienced 0 trouble getting anything I desire .. all it takes is $ and time.

QFT. I have never had any trouble getting whatever I want, and I've had some strange requests. It isn't hard to find someone who can get you what you want.

And since we know time = $. Then we also know that all it takes is $ and $. Which explains our high Canadian prices...have we come full circle on this one?